Great, now what did I do? (w/pictures)

[vitamink]

So i'm meeting some friends for breakfast that want to see the new Hmmwv. As i'm driving down the highway the thing starts to track weird, i smell burning rubber and i pull off immediately. The issue is coming from the driver's side rear. It felt as if i lost the toe-in adjustment linkage on the driver's rear. When i went to look everything looked normal. I took off again and it got weird again. I checked again and it seemed normal. I limped it the 1/2 mile back home. When i pulled in the driveway i saw that the drivers rear tire is rubbing the upper arm which is cutting into the tire and obviously making the burning rubber smell. The odd thing is that it only cuts into to the tire for about 3/4 of the rotation...i must have been in the 1/4th where it looked normal every time i pulled over. I haven't jacked it up yet as i'm worried about what i'm going to find (and it's raining)

From the photo you can see that there is a distinct wear mark going around the inside of the tire as it presses agains the upper arm. The mark only goes around 3/4 of the tire. You can also see that it seems like it's on top of the knuckle which is odd as you'd think it would be more likely that the knuckle would be resting on the bottom if there was an issue with a bearing or something... Suggestions ...and estimations on what this'll cost me?



Picture is normal on my computer but sideways when i upload it...picture it 90 degrees right.

 

[Cleptomaniac]

Start with the simple things like check the lug nuts

 

[vitamink]

Lug nuts are good.

I just jacked it up and the wheel is wobbling like crazy. Unfortunately i can't take it off yet as i let a friend borrow my rattle gun.

 

[Scar59]

Loose lugs or sheared studs, you got lucky

 

[vitamink]

I'll know by tomorrow when my rattle gun gets back. It looks like when a regular car has a bad wheel bearing. Everything is connected normally, just the wheel and tire flop around when you jack it up.

 

[doghead]

When did you service the bearings last?

 

[emmado22]

Spindle nut???????

 

[vitamink]

When did you service the bearings last?

I haven't, but the truck was built from new parts...new engine, trans, transfer case, etc etc. He put 170 miles on it and i put 200 miles on it so about 370 miles ago would be my guess.

If it is a spindle nut, i hope that's easy to fix

 

[actionpaintball]

Swap/Rotate a good wheel/rim to that location...see if it repeats itself. Then you know if its on the hub or on the tire and wheel combo. I am also guessing your wheel hub is not seated correctly.

 

[rosco]

I learn something every day about MV's -- like wheels only come off with rattle guns

 

[dilvoy]

Seems like a loose spindle nut. If it is, you should have oil leaking all over the place though. if it is, get the later type nut with the appropriate star lock thingie and then install according to the tm. Then you'll just have to check all three other hubs to be shure they are OK or to upgrade them.

 

[bigginstactical]

hahahah my thoughts exactly

I learn something every day about MV's -- like wheels only come off with rattle guns

 

[bigginstactical]

Sounds like a bearing to me. If lug nuts are good its probably bearings or spindle nut like said before. Best of luck!

 

[papakb]

I've used both electric and pneumatic impact wrenches on my truck for years and have returned to using a breaker bar to remove the wheel nuts and a torque wrench when reinstalling them. I was snapping wheel studs on my right rear tire and attributed it to overtorquing them with the impact wrenches.

Kurt

 

[vitamink]

I guess in my original post i should have explained further as the focus has been taken from the geared hub issue to what tools to use to remove a tire.

I'm well aware that i don't need a impact wrench to remove bolts. When i said i couldn't take the tire off it was due to the weather (storm) and the fact that a friend had my impact wrench. This was a mistake on my part and i apologize. I glossed over the reasons why i couldn't do it yesterday as i figured they were unimportant but apparently i should have expanded. My Hmmwv is outside and there was a storm going on, therefore i didn't want to brave the elements to remove a tire. Removing the tire was a moot point, as even if i wanted to stand in the rain, a friend had my rattle gun with all of my sockets and accessories thus leaving me with nothing but a hodgepodge of random tools to remove a tire...in the rain...at night...without the proper tools...

Everyone will be thrilled to know that today i used an impact wrench, some ratcheting box wrenches, standard box wrenches, a breaker bar, and a standard ratchet/socket set to remove the wheel as well as take some parts off of the geared hub assembly.

I was not thrilled to find this



Sorry that it's 90 degrees off again. The gears look like a motorcycle exhaust that has been running to lean... all purple and blue. There was no fluid in the assembly and it was filled with metal dust. Now i need a new assembly i'm thinking. Ugh.

 

[doghead]

Must be new parts dont come pre lubed, and he didn't lube them.

I always say, it's best to start with a complete service to get a starting point on all MV's

I wonder what the rest of them look like.

 

[vitamink]

I'm pretty sure it was lubed originally but it probably leaked out through a bad seal. You make an excellent point though. I'll be checking the others.

 

[vitamink]

More good news: the guy who built it is sending me another geared hub assembly. I love life again.

 

[187]

Good thing it happened at low speed! You'll have it back in service in no time. Make sure you check the TM on the hub for proper backlash, etc.

I had this happen to me last year on a "refurbished by military contractor" HMMWV that I was driving on 71 NB near Mansfield, OH from Wright Patterson for the agency I work for. Luckily, I felt something funny, and was getting off an exit ramp when the wheel came off. The spindle nut lock washer tabs were not properly bent over the spindle nut to prevent it from coming loose.

 

[vitamink]

Good looking HMMWV! That had to be a rough ride. I'm glad that, on mine, everything sort of welded itself together preventing the wheel from flying off and destroying something. I can't wait to get her running again. She's a great truck when all 4 wheels spin. Big thanks to the builder for sending me a complete geared hub unit.